Voters’ Harlem Shake: Egypt’s honorary national anthem by Hussain Al-Jassmi

National anthems aside, politics tends to focus on speeches more than it does music. While music can be highly political, the occasional attempts to involve music in politics and political campaigns typically fall flat. 

In the U.S., one may recall former President Trump’s unsettling use of Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” (1984). In fact, nearly every U.S. presidential candidate has used an official campaign song to characterize their administration, most of which are famous songs that allude to incoming change. Arguably propagandistic songs have led other campaigns, like Syria’s “We’ll Elect You, Bashar!” (2014), which wholeheartedly endorses President Bashar al-Assad, who has remained in power for over 20 years. Often ill-suited music choices are made as well, such as in Iraq’s presidential election of 2002, in which Saddam Hussien chose a cover of Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” (1992) as his official campaign song, hoping to win the hearts of voters for another seven year term. 

Naturally, none of these politically affiliated songs gain much attention or popularity amongst the public. The outlier: Hussain Al-Jassmi’s “Boushret Kheir” (2014), whose viral music video is flooded with positive comments on YouTube, and has amassed over 600 million views internationally. “Boushret Kheir,” meaning ‘good omen’, was released with its iconic, uplifting music video just ten days before Egypt’s 2014 presidential election. The song about voting dominated the charts and even went onto become a quintessential wedding song. 

The lyrics of “Boushret Kheir” very clearly reference the political state of the nation, opening with “خَدِت إيه مصر بسكوتك / ماتستخسرش فيها صوتك / بتكتب بكره بشروطك ” or “What has Egypt gained from your silence? / Don’t belittle your voice / You’re determining tomorrow on your terms.” The music video features clips of Egyptian citizens smiling, dancing, and holding signs with various prompts like ‘go and vote’, ‘participate’, and ‘you can do it’. “Boushret Kheir” has a unifying energy, with lyrics that highlight the various and diverse communities within the country, shouting out those in Alexandria, Al Muhalla, and Nubia. Interestingly, musician and singer Al-Jassmi is not actually Egyptian, but as an indication of the song’s overwhelming popularity, a Facebook group seeks to grant Al-Jassmi Egyptian citizenship for his artistic and cultural contributions. In a time when the people of Egypt couldn’t rely on their own government, an Emarati musician of all people was the one to grant them the feeling of hope.

The recent political atmosphere of Egypt has been shaped by the 2011 and 2013 revolutions, infamous for being organized primarily through social media. A grassroots movement, both the revolutions and their spirit became ingrained in pop culture, with music often serving as an escape for the cruel, real world.

After the revolutions, Egypt’s music, art, and poetry have been characterized by a broad and non-partisan nationalism; one that doesn’t urge a certain political agenda, but generally encourages people to become involved in their communities. For instance, Egyptian rock band Cairokee’s “Voice of Freedom” embodies inspirational lyricism that encapsulates the revolution: “All the barriers were broken / our weapons were our dreams.” The social and political turmoil of the nation’s recent past was the context for the popularity and success of “Boushret Kheir,” and has enabled it to be used as a tool for social progress. While the song evidently encourages citizens to vote, Al-Jassmi told CBC Egypt that the song endorses no particular candidate or outcome in the elections, “I have presented it for Egyptians, who have lost hope in the last period,” he stated. The song has remained associated with political involvement, even being played on speakers outside of election polls in 2018.

Apart from the election, the song and its music video celebrate the spirit of Egypt and brings together diverse individuals in a joyous light. A song that celebrates its culture and people, when the overarching image of your nation—and the rest of the Global South—is typically one of uncertainty, instability, and pain, is quite remarkable. The song’s upbeat rhythm and attitude toward Egyptian identity and existence is refreshing, especially in the context of the consistent dehumanization of Arabs and the violent images of their lives that control western media, as well as influence the narrative in their homeland. 

 

The exciting song soon blossomed into a trend reminiscent of the Harlem Shake; one YouTube video titled “This song [makes] everyone [get] crazy in the Arab world” depicts students at Lebanon University jumping up and dancing to the chorus of the song. While the original remains a universal celebratory song in the Arab community, covers of “Boushret Kheir” have been made in Palestine, Syria and Jordan, alongside parodies and remixes globally. From inspiring a flash mob in Chile to tempting newscasters to dance in Romania, “Boushret Kheir” has reached international success far beyond its political context.

“Boushret Kheir” is not the only political song that has unintentionally grown into a celebratory tune; “Bella Ciao” is a classic Italian folk song originally sung by protesting workers in WWII and the following Italian civil war, with lyrics rallying soldiers and singing of freedom. Despite its somber and sociopolitical roots, “Bella Ciao” is wildly popular, known internationally as a powerful, moving, and even cinematic song. From its roots as an anti-fascist anthem of the Italian resistance to modern EDM remixes, “Bella Ciao” has evolved in pop culture. It may also be familiar from being prominently featured in Netflix series Money Heist (2017).

Another popular song with unexpected political origins is M.I.A’s “Paper Planes” (2007), which was written in protest of both American perceptions of immigrants and the ethnic cleansing of the Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army. The lyrics of “Paper Planes” satirize the idea of a dangerous immigrant, who struggles to obtain a work visa. Even with a heavy political message, the song reached the top 5 on U.S. charts and remains a classic 2000s hit, being played to this day at college parties and often not even recognized as political.

These songs, amongst others, are a testament to the power a simple song can have, embodying a time period, identity, and most notably, a spirit which lives beyond its politically relevant years. While governments and nations are temporary, the cultural product of such politics—like “Boushret Kheir”—can have a large and permanent impact on society. 

 

Article by Nadia Laswi

Hussain Al-Jassmi photographed by Mahmoud Ads at 2020 Dubai Expo, Young child photographed by Reuters 2011, M.I.A photographed by Emman Montalvan 2022, Person raising Egyptian flag via Getty Images 2011